Visit to the University of Siena

I and oher 4 students went to the University of Siena on Thursday and we visited Eugenio Simoncini´s la., I was impressed, the university was very modern and organized and we were only in the chemistry faculty, bigger than atwood by far and probably bigger than the entire campus in emory. The lab equipment was very advanced too and Eugenio gave an amazing demonstration.

The experiment was about studying the behavior of a typical membrane lipid bilayer, in conditions similar to the ones in the body. When the internal anabolic reactions that create order from disorder take place, spatio temporal patterns are seen. These patterns are waves that are produced as a result of the collisions of the molecules when they are reacting. A pattern of peaks is generated, the lenght of the peak (size of the wave) varies as the concentration of the reactans do.

Reaction diffusion systems represent a good environment in which reactions can be performed, simulating the body internal conditions and in which these patterns can be observed and studied. One of the most well known RDS is the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction also suitable as a model for other kind of metabolic reactions. In this experiment and aqueous space is used in which phospholpid lamellar phases are mixed, like the ones found in the membrane bilayer. 1,2- dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) and 1,2- diphytanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPhPC) were used. These lipids are familiar to the ones found in the archae´s membranes. These conditions are similar to the ones of the blood in which micelles are suspended in the aqueous space of the blood. The BZ reaction consists in the oxidation of an organic compund with hydrogens from an sp2 carbon. Ferroin, a molecule similar to hemoglobin was used as a catalyzer. No undesirable reactions were obtained from the mixutre of the host aqueous matrix with the reactants of the BZ reaction. Images during the reaction were recorded by using a CCD camcorder. The results showed that as DPhPC was added the intensity of the pattern of waves increased and new forms and shapes were formed. When the ratio was different and more DPhPC was present the pattern changed and fluctuated as time passed.

The conclusion was that the waves that were observed were ondulations of the lipids layer and as the ratio of lipids in the solution varied, the frequency and intensity of the waves did too. This experiment is very useful since the conditions and the reactions are very similar to the metabolic reactions that occur all the time in our bodies. The oscillating pattern of the waves can help us to difne better the morphology and space organization of different organisms and organs.